A man working in a citrus grove just east of Hemet was bitten by a rattlesnake Wednesday and hospitalized.

The unidentified victim was engaged in agricultural work when he was struck by the rattler shortly after 6 a.m. in the 26100 block of Marshall Avenue, near Bentley Street, according to the Riverside County Fire Department.

Paramedics reached the location a few minutes later and transported the patient to a Hemet-area trauma center in stable condition, according to the Fire Department.

According to the U.S. Forest Service, rattlers should be avoided, but if encountered, they should be given a wide buffer zone.

“If you see a snake, back away to at least six feet from the snake (because) they can strike a distance equal to their body length,” according to a USFS statement. “If you can’t walk around the snake to continue on your way, stamp your feet until it moves away. Keep dogs and horses under control. Rattlesnakes do not always rattle as a warning prior to striking, so don’t assume that if you didn’t hear a rattle, that it wasn’t a rattlesnake.”

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